Mark Cooper

Mark Cooper

Historia

Mark Cooper was Head of Music at the BBC and lately BBC Studios for 20 years until July 2019, leading the team that created some of the BBC’s most popular music documentaries and shows. He is the founding producer of Later…with Jools Holland and the annual Hootenanny show working with Jools Holland and Director Janet Fraser Crook. He has led on BBC TV’s coverage of Glastonbury since it began in 1997 overseeing its growth on the BBC’s digital channels and developing it as the main televisual event it is today. Between 2013 and 2018 Mark oversaw the TV coverage of The Proms, curating both the David Bowie and Stax Proms and was executive producer on a number of classical and dance films from Pappano’s Classical Voices to Good Swan, Bad Swan: Dancing Swan Lake with Tamara Rojo. Producing multiple hours of documentaries on some of the biggest names in music, he has also been responsible for series that explore musical origins like Reginald D Hunter’s Songs of the South as well as leading the strands Britannia, which contains 25 films on the evolution of music genres in the UK, The Joy Of Abba, Easy Listening and Country and America - Rock & Roll, Blues and Tap. Mark continues to work with the BBC as an Executive Producer on special projects. (Biography adapted from BBC Press Release at https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/bbcstudios/2019/Mark-Cooper-steps-down-Head-of-Music)

Perfil

Mark Cooper

Películas

Introducing Jodea
Producer
A struggling young actress's fortunes change when the a world famous movie director drives into the back of her car.
Jazz Horns Gold
Executive Producer
Jazz Horns Gold blows its own trumpet (and saxophone and nose flute) with a cool array of BBC archive from the jazz vaults. Legends such as Dizzy Gillespie, Coleman Hawkins, Stan Getz and Rahsaan Roland Kirk play boldly alongside new stars who emerged in the 80s like Wynton Marsalis and the young jazz disciples of the 21st century such as Joshua Redman and Hypnotic Brass Ensemble. Not forgetting the Brits including Acker Bilk, John Dankworth, Courtney Pine and John Surman and the late, lamented Andy Hamilton. Archive sources include Jazz 625, the Late Show, Later with Jools Holland and Crackerjack. Blow man blow!
James Galway at the BBC
Executive Producer
A dazzling music tribute to the Man with the Golden Flute, Sir James Galway. Features archive performances across 40 years of television including The Chieftains, Cleo Laine and Sir James himself.
Fleetwood Mac's Songbird: Christine McVie
Executive Producer
Christine McVie is undoubtedly the longest-serving female band member of any of the enduring rock ‘n’ roll acts that emerged from the 1960s. While she has never fronted Fleetwood Mac, preferring to align herself with ‘the boys’ in the rhythm section whom she first joined 50 years ago, Christine is their most successful singer-songwriter. Her hits include ‘Over My Head’, ‘Don’t Stop’ and ‘Everywhere’. After massive global success in both the late 1970s and mid-1980s, Christine left the band in the late 1990s, quitting California and living in semi-retirement in Kent, only to rejoin the band in 2013. In this 90-minute film, this most English of singers finally gets to take centre-stage and tell both her story and the saga of Fleetwood Mac from her point of view.
Pappano's Greatest Arias
Executive Producer
Antonio Pappano, music director of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, explores the greatest arias in the genre through a mix of workshops and archive footage. Nothing pulls harder at the heartstrings than an opera aria – that pivotal moment when the action stops and the character draws us right into the heart of the drama, revealing his or her innermost feelings and thoughts. These are chances for the singers to show off, to wow an audience with some of the most famous music in opera. In this film, charismatic conductor and music director of the Royal Opera House, Antonio Pappano, shares his selection of some of opera’s greatest arias. Pappano’s choices stretch across the full 400-year operatic canvas and feature some of the most ravishing and famous arias in the repertoire.
Amy Winehouse - Back To Black:The Real Story Behind The Modern Classic
Executive Producer
La verdadera historia de cómo surgió el cuerpo de trabajo más conocido y celebrado de Amy Winehouse. Con imágenes nunca antes vistas de Amy, nuevas entrevistas con los productores Mark Ronson y Salaam Remi, y los músicos que trabajaron con Amy en el álbum, ofreciendo nuevas ideas sobre los dones notables de Amy como cantante, compositora, músico e intérprete.
El bailarín
Co-Producer
Rusia, 1961. Rudolf Nureyev, el bailarín de ballet más grande de todos los tiempos, viaja por primera vez fuera de la Unión Soviética como miembro de la prestigiosa Kirov Ballet Company. Aunque el KGB sigue de cerca sus pasos y a pesar del gran peligro que conllevaba entonces la deserción, Nureyev huirá tomando una decisión que podría cambiar el curso de su vida para siempre.
Tom Jones and Beverley Knight’s Gospel Christmas
Executive Producer
Gospel Christmas returns from the heart of Cardiff to celebrate a special evening of music and spiritual cheer with Sir Tom Jones and Beverley Knight. The blend of traditional gospel, carols and songs of spiritual intent from modern greats like Prince and Bob Dylan are performed by choirs and a house band from the British gospel scene, and will add up to the freshest of winter warmers.
Stunning Soloists at the BBC
Executive Producer
Solo show-stoppers from the world's greatest musicians including John Williams, Jacqueline du Pre, Wynton Marsalis, Nigel Kennedy, James Galway, Ravi Shankar and Dudley Moore.
Tom Jones's 1950s: The Decade That Made Me
Executive Producer
Television, the movies, the radio and - most importantly - the music of the first rock 'n' roll years give us a unique insight into both the country and the decade that would shape Tom's talent and, in the 60s, make him a star. Tom Jones's 1950s in Pontypridd are told first hand by the man himself as he travels back to his birthplace. Tom's take on the decade is amplified and explored by a Greek chorus of contributors who share their account of their 50s. Joan Bakewell, Katherine Whitehorn and Michele Hanson share their experiences both as women and from differing class backgrounds, historians Alwyn Turner, Martin Johnes, Francis Beckett and Tony Russell draw the social and political landscape of a rapidly changing decade, while musicians Bruce Welch, Clem Cattini, Marty Wilde and Tom McGuinness talk of how that decade began their musical journeys and changed their lives forever, all illustrated by a rich seam of archive that captures a decade we mostly saw in black and white.
Virtuoso Violinists at the BBC
Producer
Nicola Benedetti introduces performances by celebrated violinists including Nathan Milstein, Mischa Elman, Isaac Stern, Yehudi Menuhin, Itzhak Perlman and Nigel Kennedy.
Roy Orbison: One of the Lonely Ones
Executive Producer
Using previously unseen performances, a biography of rock balladeer Roy Orbison told through his own voice, casting new light on the triumphs and tragedies that beset his career.
Better Than the Original: The Joy of the Cover Version
Executive Producer
Through ten carefully chosen cover versions that whisk us from the British Invasion to a noughties X Factor final, this film journeys over five decades to track how artists as varied as The Moody Blues, Soft Cell, Puff Daddy and Alexandra Burke have scored number 1s with their retake on someone else's song. Each of the ten classic cover versions has its own particular tale, tied not only into its musical and cultural context but also the personal testimony of the artists, producers and songwriters whose lives were changed in the process.
Cilla at the BBC
Executive Producer
Compilation celebrating the BBC's coverage of Cilla Black's 60s pop star years on programmes like The Ken Dodd Show and Top of the Pops, plus moments from her self-titled series.
Jeff Lynne's ELO - Live at Hyde Park
Executive Producer
En un día soleado de septiembre de 2014, Jeff Lynne, líder de la banda de éxitos de los 70 Electric Light Orchestra (ELO), subió al escenario en el Hyde Park de Londres y, con la ayuda de su banda de acompañamiento y las cuerdas de la BBC Concert Orchestra, puso fin al festival anual Live in Hyde Park de Radio 2. Después 28 años de ausencia de los escenarios, este concierto presentado como la ELO de Jeff Lynne fue un evento muy esperado y comentado. Frente a 50.000 personas, Jeff Lynne interpretó una secuencia entusiasta y agradable para el público de los éxitos más importantes de la ELO, incluidos "Livin' Thing", "Sweet Talkin' Woman", "Don't Bring Me Down", "Mr Blue Sky" y "Roll Over Beethoven". Y también hubo el conmovedor tributo de Jeff a sus amigos de la banda Travelling Wilburys, en la interpretación de su éxito de 1988 "Handle With Care".
The Kate Bush Story: Running Up That Hill
Executive Producer
This documentary explores Kate Bush's career and music, from January 1978's Wuthering Heights to her 2011 album 50 Words for Snow, through the testimony of some of her key collaborators and those she has inspired.
The Genius of Bert Jansch: Folk, Blues & Beyond
Executive Producer
Interviews and rare archive footage weave together performances from a landmark multi-artist concert at the Royal Festival Hall in London, celebrating the songs and artistry of the great folk-blues troubadour Bert Jansch.
The Joy of ABBA
Executive Producer
Combining European musical influences, perfect production and lyrics of love and loss, ABBA made us fall in love with the sound of Swedish melancholy. This documentary explores the music of ABBA and chronicles how they conquered both Sweden and Britain in the face of constant criticism.
Big Bill Broonzy: The Man who Brought the Blues to Britain
Executive Producer
Big Bill Broonzy would inspire a generation of musicians, yet he was not the man they believed him to be. This first, very intimate, biography of the pioneering bluesman uncovers the mystery of who Broonzy really was and follows his remarkable and colorful journey from the racist Deep South to the clubs of Chicago and all across the world. With contributions from Pete Seeger, Ray Davies, Keith Richards, Martin Carthy, John Renbourn, and members of the Broonzy family. Broonzy's own words are read by Clarke Peters.
Agnetha: ABBA & After
Executive Producer
Agnetha Fältskog’s extraordinary singing career began when she was only 15 years old. But in just two years she was knocking The Beatles off the top of the Swedish pop charts writing her own material. This new documentary features exclusive access to Agnetha in the studio and with her colleagues of both recent years and from ABBA, assessing and celebrating her journey as Sweden's 'girl with the golden hair'. This intimate and revealing programme features interviews with Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson, Gary Barlow, Tony Blackburn, record producer Peter Nordahl, Jörgen Elofsson and Sir Tim Rice
Jazz Divas Gold
Executive Producer
BBC Four explores the archives for the sultry sounds and looks of 'Jazz Divas Gold'! Featured Jazz legends include Ella Fitzgerald, Marion Montgomery, Cleo Laine, Blossom Dearie, Sarah Vaughan, Nina Simone, Peggy Lee, Betty Carter, Amy Winehouse, Eartha Kitt and many more who can be seen from 1965 to 2008 on BBC treasures such as Not So Much a Programme, More a Way of Life, Show of the Week, Not Only...But Also, Birdland, Parkinson, Later..with Jools Holland, Morecambe and Wise and more...so let's hear it for the ladies!
Queens of Jazz: The Joy and Pain of the Jazz Divas
Executive Producer
The documentary tracks the diva's difficult progress as she emerges from the tough, testosterone-fuelled world of the big bands of the 30s and 40s, to fill nightclubs and saloons across the US in the 50s and early 60s as a force in her own right. Looking at the lives and careers of six individual singers (Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, Peggy Lee, Sarah Vaughan, Nina Simone and Annie Ross), the film not only talks to those who knew and worked with these queens of jazz, but also to contemporary singers who sit on the shoulders of these trailblazing talents without having to endure the pain and hardship it took for them to make their highly individual voices heard above the prejudice of mid-century America.
Jazz Piano Gold
Executive Producer
A real treat for anyone who loves listening to the tinkling of the jazz piano, with classics from Count Basie, Thelonious Monk, Oscar Peterson, Abdullah Ibrahim, Stan Tracey and Jacques Loussier to Duke Ellington, Return to Forever and Herbie Hancock. The performances are culled from cult classic programmes such as Jazz 625, Show of the Week, Late Night Line Up, Love You Madly, Birdland, The Late Show and Later... with Jools Holland, and date from 1964 to 2009. Be it bebop, swing or contemporary, Jazz Piano Gold is a must for all jazz piano fans.
Amy Winehouse Tribute
Executive Producer
Jools Holland presents a collection of Amy Winehouse's performances on Later, the Hootenanny and at the Mercury Prize between 2003 and 2007. Winehouse made her TV debut on Later in 2003 with songs from her debut album Frank. Like Jools, she loved classic jazz and blues singers like Dinah Washington and Sarah Vaughan, and the two Londoners hit it off. Amy returned to play with Jools's Orchestra at that year's Hootenanny, to Later in 2006 for the launch of Back to Black and to that year's Hootenanny to perform Toots's Monkey Man and duet with Paul Weller.
A Tribute to Amy Winehouse by Jools Holland
Executive Producer
Jools Holland presents a collection of Amy Winehouse's performances on Later, the Hootenanny and at the Mercury Prize between 2003 and 2007. Winehouse made her TV debut on Later in 2003 with songs from her debut album Frank. Like Jools, she loved classic jazz and blues singers like Dinah Washington and Sarah Vaughan, and the two Londoners hit it off. Amy returned to play with Jools's Orchestra at that year's Hootenanny, to Later in 2006 for the launch of Back to Black and to that year's Hootenanny to perform Toots's Monkey Man and duet with Paul Weller. Back to Black was nominated for the 2007 Mercury Prize and Winehouse performed a heartrending version of Love's Just a Losing Game accompanied only by her guitarist - a fitting end to this celebration of the mercurial, brilliant and troubled singer in her prime.
The Santana Story: Angels and Demons
Executive Producer
Carlos Santana, the legendary Mexican-American guitarist and songwriter, reveals his turbulent life story with astonishing intimacy, accompanied by previously unseen archive performances of many of his best-known tunes. These range from Evil Ways and Black Magic Woman to the massive hits from his later Supernatural album. Santana recounts to director Jeremy Marre the abuse and struggle of his early years, the invention of Latin rock in San Francisco, his triumph at Woodstock, his involvement with jealous guru Sri Chinmoy and guitarist John McLaughlin, and the rollercoaster years that followed. This frank and very personal depiction of a remarkable forty-year career, fuelled by his 'angels and demons', is illustrated with behind-the-scenes footage uncovered for the first time, interviews with former members of the band, producers and musicians, and many performances from the early 70s that depict his unmistakable guitar style.
Elton John at the BBC
Executive Producer
Elton John's career tracked in archive from performances, interviews and news clips.
The Making of Elton John: Madman Across the Water
Executive Producer
Documentary exploring Elton John's childhood, apprenticeship in the British music business, sudden stardom in the US at the dawn of the 70s and his musical heyday. Plus the backstory to the album reuniting him with Leon Russell, his American mentor. Features extensive exclusive interviews with Elton, plus colleagues and collaborators including Bernie Taupin, Leon Russell and others.
Herb Alpert, Tijuana Brass and Other Delights
Executive Producer
The story of musician, producer and artist Herb Alpert. This profile platforms his music and artwork as he exhibits his sculptures for Hollywood's art elite.
Krautrock : The Rebirth of Germany
Executive Producer
Documentary which looks at how a radical generation of musicians created a new German musical identity out of the cultural ruins of war.
Blues Britannia: Can Blue Men Sing the Whites?
Executive Producer
Documentary telling the story of what happened to blues music on its journey from the southern states of America to the heart of British pop and rock culture, providing an in-depth look at what this music really meant to a generation of kids desperate for an antidote to their experiences of living in post-war suburban Britain. Narrated by Nigel Planer and structured in three parts, the first, Born Under a Bad Sign, focuses on the arrival of American blues in Britain in the late 50s and the first performances here by such legends as Muddy Waters, Sonnie Terry and Brownie McGhee. Featuring archive performances and interviews with Keith Richards, Paul Jones, Chris Dreja, Bill Wyman, Phil May, John Mayall, Jack Bruce, Mick Fleetwood, Ian Anderson, Tony McPhee, Mike Vernon, Tom McGuinness, Mick Abrahams, Dick Taylor, Val Wilmer, Chris Barber, Pete Brown, Bob Brunning, Dave Kelly and Phil Ryan
Annie Lennox - BBC Sessions Live at St Lukes
Executive Producer
Pop's enduring diva is on scintillating form in an intimate concert from LSO St Luke's in London. Accompanied by her band and 21 strings from the BBC Concert Orchestra, Annie Lennox storms through a set packed with hits from her solo career and back to the Eurythmics days, including classic hits Here Comes the Rain, Little Bird, Cold, Sweet Dreams and No More 'I Love You's'. Lennox shows her voice has lost none of its ability to thrill and her showmanship is undimmed.
Motown at the BBC
Executive Producer
To mark the 50-year anniversary of Motown in 2009, a compilation of some of the iconic record label's greatest names filmed live in the BBC studios. Visitors from Hitsville USA over the years have included Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, Diana Ross and the Supremes, the Temptations, Stevie Wonder, The Four Tops and The Jackson 5.
If It Ain't Stiff: The Stiff Records Story
Executive Producer
Adrian Edmondson narrates a documentary chronicling the story of Stiff Records, a tiny independent that took music out of the boardroom and gave it back to the fans. Stiff's successes included Nick Lowe, the Damned, Elvis Costello, Ian Dury, Madness, Tracey Ullman and the Pogues. Contributors include Captain Sensible, Jonathan Ross, Suggs, Shane MacGowan and label founders Jake Riviera and Dave Robinson.
Elvis Costello: Live: A Case for Song
Producer
1. Little Atoms 2. Pump It Up 3. Why Can't A Man Stand Alone? 4. You Bowed Down 5. Temptation 6. Veronica 7. Indoor Fireworks 8. Pills And Soap 9. I Almost Had A Weakness 10. The Birds Will Still Be Singing 11. God Only Knows 12. Upon A Veil Of Midnight Blue 13. Almost Blue 14. All This Useless Beauty 15. Shipbuilding 16. Riot Act 17. Man Out Of Time 18. Complicated Shadows 19. It's Time 20. I Want To Vanish
The Britpop Story 'It Really, Really, Really, Could Happen'
Executive Producer
In August 1995 Blur and Oasis were engaged in a head-to-head chart battle which divided music fans and led to a wider argument about British pop music. John Harris, journalist and author of The Last Party - the definitive study of the entwinement of music and politics in the 1990s - presents a documentary charting the rise of Britpop, its brief romance with New Labour and the emergence of 'new lad' culture. Finally, as Britpop declines, he asks what legacy it has left. Including contributions from Blur's Graham Coxon, Elastica's Justine Frischmann, Sleeper's Louise Wener, former New Labour insider Darren Kalynuk, and the founder of Creation records, Alan McGee.
George Michael: A Different Story
Executive Producer
Documentary about George Michael It follows Michael's life from joining Wham! in 1981, to the present-day covering his career as a solo artist including personal and professional gain and loss. The film is a British venture produced by Aegean Films with Gorilla Entertainment Limited serving as distributor.
Johnny Cash: The Last Great American
Executive Producer
This first major retrospective of Cash's life, times and music features contributions from his daughter Rosanne Cash and son John Carter Cash, his longtime manager Lou Robin and fellow musicians including Little Richard, Cowboy Jack Clement, Kris Kristofferson, Merle Haggard and Elvis Costello.
Manic Street Preachers: From There to Here
Producer
Documental que narra los inicios de la banda Manic Street Preachers, centrándose medianamente en la aportación de Richey Edwards (letrista) al rumbo del grupo, así como su desaparición en 1995.
Richard Lester!
Producer
A tribute to Richard Lester, Philadelphia-born filmmaker who moved to England to direct the modern classics "A Hard Day's Night," "Petulia," and "Help!"